Efficacy of neem oil and turmeric powder against Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi

Abstract

Aphids are considered to be serious pests of arable crops. They remove photoassimilates from crop plants. They are responsible for viral diseases in crops by transmission of a number of plant viruses. The present study was carried out to observe the efficacy of neem and turmeric extracts against two aphid pest species, i.e. Sitobion avenae (F.) and Rhopalosiphum padi. Wheat (Triticum aestivum) of variety (Fareed-06) were grown in pots in glasshouse. Both aphid species were allowed to infest wheat plants separately. Twenty aphids per plant were released on 6-week plants and whole pots were covered with polythene sheets. Two weeks later neem and turmeric extract were applied separately at different concentrations (0, 1, 2, 2.5 and 3 %). Twenty four hrs later, mortality data was recorded. It was found that mortality of S. avenae was maximum (77.56%) at 3% concentration of neem oil after 24hrs which was statistically similar to mortality of R. padi (77.88%) at 3% concentration of neem oil after 24hrs. Similar results were found after 48 hrs of application of plant extracts, where both aphid species had highest mortality at 3% concentration of neem oil. Mortality of S. avenae was maximum (90.58%) 3% concentration of turmeric powder after 24hrs which was statistically similar to mortality of R. padi (90.38%) at 3% concentration of turmeric powder after 24hrs. Similarly, mortality of S. avenae and R. padi at 3% turmeric powder concentration was maximum (92.94%) (93.38%) after 48hrs. The results revealed that neem oil and turmeric powder at 3% concentration can be used for efficient aphid control in wheat plants.